Brief History

1985

WILD FLOWER MAGAZINE

Canadian Wildflower Society was formed. We began publication of Wildflower magazine and established a gardening Code of Ethics.

1986

FIRST PLANT SALE

Filed Letters Patent and received charitable status. Sponsored our first public annual native plant sale.

1988

FIRST NATIVE PLANT SALE WORKSHOP

Sponsored a native plant propagation workshop. Established our first wildflower gardens tour in Guelph and Waterloo, ON.

1993

PURCHASED A WOODLOT

Purchased a 50-acre Carolinian woodlot known as Shining Tree Woods near Cultus in Ontario, to conserve the nationally rare native cucumber tree, Magnolia acuminata.

1994

CO-PUBLISHED NATIVE PLANT BOOKLET

Co-published (with the Federation of Ontario Naturalists) Plants of Carolinian Canada, the first booklet on the native plants of Carolinian Canada with conservation and horticultural advice.

1999

WE CHANGED OUR NAME

Our name was changed from Canadian Wildflower Society to North American Native Plant Society (NANPS).

2003

PURCHASED LAND OF SCIENTIFIC INTEREST

Purchased a five-hectare (13-acre) parcel of Zinkan Island Cove, a provincially designated ANSI (Area of Natural and Scientific Interest) on the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario.

2004

SOLD WILDFLOWER

Sold Wildflower magazine. Replaced with our current newsletter, the “Blazing Star”.

2005

REGULAR SEMINARS

NANPS began conducting regular seminars around Ontario. Formed partnerships with Toronto Botanical Garden and City of Markham.

2008

SPEAKERS SERIES ON NATURE

Established the Speakers Series on nature, environment and native plant gardening. NANPS founded an e-newsletter, THE LOCAL SCOOP.

2010

25TH ANNIVERSARY PUBLICATION

Celebrated our 25th Anniversary by publishing a special edition of The Blazing Star. NANPS founder and Honorary President, Jim French, published “Silver Memories”, a personal recollection of the first 25 years.

2013

COMMUNITY CANOES

Partnered with David Suzuki’s Homegrown National Park to convert old canoes into pollinator gardens.